Skip to content

Keyword

Exploding Fashion: From 2D to 3D to 3D Animation

Start Date 08 October 2022
End Date 05 February 2023
Venue MoMu
Location Antwerp, Belgium
Curator Alistair O'Neill, Caroline Evans, Romy Cockx
Graphic design Paul Boudens
A pale blue sleeveless dress is displayed at the front of the image, displayed right of three photographs showing a model wearing the dress. In the background are four more dresses standing on a wide white plinth.

‘Exploding Fashion: From 2D to 3D to 3D Animation’ is a research project at Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London) that explores how pattern-cutting in twentieth century fashion can be understood through the practices of making, unmaking and remaking.

The project ‘explodes’ the mystique of the fashion design process in two ways. Firstly, it deconstructs the myth of the designer as sole creative genius by uncovering the intriguing role of the pattern cutter. Secondly, it reverse-engineers five historical designs by game-changing designers who were also innovative pattern cutters, digitally reanimating museum objects as moving images which visually narrate how these things were once made, and how they moved on the body.  The designers are Madeleine Vionnet (1912-1939), Charles James (1928-1978), Cristóbal Balenciaga (1936-1968), Halston (1957-1983) and Comme des Garçons (1973-ongoing) and their garments are from the collections of the Palais Galliera (Paris, France), Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris, France), Costume Institute (New York, USA), Museum at FIT (New York, USA), Kyoto Costume Institute (Japan) and Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK).

© MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp, photo Stany Dederen